Obese Surpass Undernourished Youths

Obesity has skyrocketed among children and adolescents bombarded by "unethical" marketing of junk food, outpacing undernourishment to become the leading form of malnutrition worldwide for the first time among those age five to 19, UNICEF warned.

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"Ultra-processed food is increasingly replacing fruits, vegetables and protein at a time when nutrition plays a critical role in children's growth, cognitive development and mental health," said UNICEF chief Catherine Russell in a statement.

and mental health."

The fight to reduce world hunger is bearing fruit in some areas, with prevalence of underweight youths on a downward trend, falling from 13 percent to 10 percent between 2000 and 2022 among 5-19 year olds, according to data collected in 190 countries.